Key Findings:
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Jellyfish collagen type 0 (CT0) formulations demonstrated superior regenerative outcomes over bovine collagen in full thickness excisional wounds in the db/db mouse model.
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Wound closure for both crosslinked and chemically modified CT0 formulations were significantly higher than film dressing alone from day 12 to day 49 (p ≤ 0.029 and p ≤ 0.024 respectively) and comparable to bovine collagen.
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Increased re-epithelization and reduced inflammation was observed with CT0 compared to bovine collagen.
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CT0 resulted in more complete granulation compared to bovine collagen.
Charlotte, NC (April 9, 2026) – The emergence of collagen type 0 (CT0), a next-generation biomaterial derived from the barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma pulmo), provides a highly versatile and biocompatible alternative for tissue regeneration. Andrew Mearns Spragg, PhD, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Jellagen Ltd today revealed data comparing CT0 against current standard-of-care methods in a First-to-Podium presentation at the 2026 Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) Spring | WHS.
This breakthrough suggests a major shift in wound healing, providing a sustainable, non-mammalian solution that reduces the risk of inflammatory rejection while accelerating the repair of complex wounds.
Safer, High-Performance Candidate for Clinical Applications
While bovine and porcine collagens are currently the industry standards, they possess inherent clinical shortcomings, including structural and functional mismatching, potential inflammatory triggers, and the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. Termed "Type 0" because it predates the specialized collagen types found in mammals, CT0 acts as a universal scaffold that seamlessly integrates with tissues to facilitate healing.
This structural commonality allows it to serve as a superior template for human tissue generation with a significantly lower inflammatory profile in vivo and zero risk of zoonotic disease, making CT0 a safer, high-performance candidate for clinical applications. The study utilized the db/db mouse model to analyze healing in full thickness excisional wounds, the gold standard for mimicking impaired healing in type 2 diabetes.
Researchers evaluated two distinct CTO formulations micronized cross-linked and chemically modified powders, against a negative control (film dressing) and a positive control (bovine collagen). Wounds were monitored for closure and contraction over 63 days, with histological assessments at days 35 and 63 to measure granulation tissue, cellular ingress, and re-epithelialization.
Lowered Inflammatory Response
Wound closure for both CT0 formulations were significantly higher than film dressing alone (day 12 to day 49 (p ≤ 0.029 for the cross-linked and p ≤ 0.024)) and comparable to bovine collagen. Contraction levels were also higher for CT0 formulations compared to the control (p ≤ 0.029).
New tissue showed that CT0 has lowered inflammatory response allowing good vascularization and re-epithelization (p = 0.010 on day 8) with little to no residual CT0 remaining on healing. Both bovine collagen and CT0 promoted granulation, however granulation using CT0 was observed to be more complete with a lower number of inflammatory cells present.
“I’m honoured to be speaking at this year’s SAWC Spring event and to share the exciting potential of collagen type 0’s transformative impact on wound and tissue healing,” said Dr. Mearns Spragg. “I’m looking forward to reconnecting with colleagues and building new relationships throughout the event.”
Building for the Future
Jellagen Ltd is transitioning into the medical device design phase, leveraging a biomaterial source that is more cost-effective, patient-safe, and environmentally sustainable than traditional livestock sourcing. They are currently exploring several scalable manufacturing methods to support a diverse pipeline of research, including bioprinting for the treatment of tendinopathies and osteoarthritis, specialized serum development for the treatment of rare skin disease, scaffolds for bone and cartilage regeneration, and advanced sheet materials for chronic, non-healing wound care.
In February 2026, it was announced that Jellagen (UK) and Royal Biologics (Hackensack, NJ – USA), a leader in advanced wound care, orthobiologics, and regenerative medicine, entered into a transformative investment and strategic partnership to help bring Jellagen’s Collagen Type Zero: to the U.S. Regenerative Medicine Market.